United Airlines Flight 2323 from Chicago suffered a hard landing at Orlando International Airport (MCO) on 18 January, shedding a nose-gear wheel and blocking the runway for nearly an hour. Video posted to social media shows the Airbus A321neo pitching forward before the detached wheel rolls off the tarmac. The Federal Aviation Administration declared a ground stop for departures to MCO while emergency crews towed the jet and inspected pavement.
All 200 passengers and six crew members deplaned safely by bus. The FAA confirmed an investigation is under way; preliminary weather logs recorded sustained crosswinds at 35 mph with gusts to 56 mph at touchdown—conditions that have already caused multiple rate-reductions across Florida airports this month.
Although the runway reopened quickly, downstream scheduling impacts rippled into Monday morning as United swapped aircraft and crews. Corporate travel desks with high Orlando convention volume reported missed connections, highlighting the importance of contingency buffers when routing through weather-sensitive Florida hubs during winter fronts.
![Hard-Landing Incident at Orlando Triggers Brief FAA Ground Stop]()
For travelers whose rerouted itineraries suddenly involve new international connections, quickly confirming whether a transit visa is required can be crucial. VisaHQ’s platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) lets passengers and corporate travel managers check real-time entry requirements and secure rush processing, helping minimize additional headaches when flights go off schedule.
Air-safety experts note that the incident adds to a recent uptick in nose-gear and brake-overheat events on next-generation narrow-body fleets, emphasising the need for rigorous de-icing and crosswind-landing training.
From a mobility-risk perspective, the episode reinforces the value of trip-delay insurance and real-time traveler-tracking systems that allow employers to confirm employee status quickly after an aviation irregularity.
All 200 passengers and six crew members deplaned safely by bus. The FAA confirmed an investigation is under way; preliminary weather logs recorded sustained crosswinds at 35 mph with gusts to 56 mph at touchdown—conditions that have already caused multiple rate-reductions across Florida airports this month.
Although the runway reopened quickly, downstream scheduling impacts rippled into Monday morning as United swapped aircraft and crews. Corporate travel desks with high Orlando convention volume reported missed connections, highlighting the importance of contingency buffers when routing through weather-sensitive Florida hubs during winter fronts.
For travelers whose rerouted itineraries suddenly involve new international connections, quickly confirming whether a transit visa is required can be crucial. VisaHQ’s platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) lets passengers and corporate travel managers check real-time entry requirements and secure rush processing, helping minimize additional headaches when flights go off schedule.
Air-safety experts note that the incident adds to a recent uptick in nose-gear and brake-overheat events on next-generation narrow-body fleets, emphasising the need for rigorous de-icing and crosswind-landing training.
From a mobility-risk perspective, the episode reinforces the value of trip-delay insurance and real-time traveler-tracking systems that allow employers to confirm employee status quickly after an aviation irregularity.
